About 100km from Hanoi and located besides Bieu Mountain, the over-500-year Sung village in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, is home to a Dao Tien ethnic community. With support from the Action on Poverty (AOP) organisation, the Da Bac Community-based Tourism JSC has carried out the community-based tourism model in the village. The village of Dao Tien ethnic people officially opened to tourists in 2017.
Tourists learn and try the craft of beeswax drawing in Sung village of Cao Son commune, Da Bac district.
Community-based tourism activities in Sung village have attracted a large number of travellers, especially foreigners, thanks to the untouched natural beauty and unique culture. Aside from some typical tourism and service products like going sightseeing, exploring Sung Cave, and picking shan tuyet tea buds, community-based tourism here also offers products linked with traditional crafts, thus meeting travellers’ increasingly diverse exploring and experiencing demand.
Ly Van Quy, head of the medicinal material group in Sung village, said that local residents had previously depended on the diverse source of materials in nature to create remedies used in their families. Benefiting from the AOP’s sustainable community-based tourism development project, a traditional medicine group was established in the village and received training as well as financial aid to build workshops, design packages, and develop new products to sustainably tap into local resources and improve local medicinal products’ competitiveness.
The group has launched four products, namely sweet jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) tea, bath herbs, herbal mosquito repellent spray, and red ginger massage solution, he noted.
Meanwhile, the production of "do” paper used to be eroded seriously, and there was only one household involved in this craft. However, the village is home to a large area of materials for making "do” paper, which is why the sustainable community-based tourism development project decided to support Dao Tien ethnic people here to uphold the traditional craft. As a result, a cooperative group for "do” paper production was set up in Sung to develop related products
In addition, the crafts of dyeing fabrics indigo, drawing beeswax on clothes, and making brocades have also been revitalised. The brocade making group now gathers 11 women who were trained in using sewing machines, Japan’s Shibori dyeing technique, and designing to create more diverse and fashionable products to meet tourists’ taste.
Ly Sao Mai, a coordinator at the Da Bac Community-based Tourism JSC in Sung village, said that traditional crafts are being preserved and brought into play to create more diverse and attractive tourism products. At the same time, jobs have been diversified to attract more workers, thus raising income and ensuring stable livelihoods for locals.
She went on to say that more than 80% of the local households are engaging in accommodation, eating, tour guide, and musical performance services, along with brocade, medicinal material, and "do” paper production. The groups of traditional crafts, especially "do” paper and brocade making, now frequently serve visitors coming to explore and experience.
Nguyen Hai Yen, a tourist from Hanoi, said she was very impressed with an ethnic minority village located besides Hoa Binh Lake where the long-standing lifestyle, large forest, and fresh air are still maintained. During the two-day stay in this community-based tourism village, she gained many memorable experiences and learned much more about traditional crafts – one of the unique cultural identities of Dao people. She tried and bought many herbal products such as the massage solution and mosquito repellent as gifts for relatives as she found they are safe, convenient, and useful. A number of such products as handbags, purses, tablecloth, and paintings are also relatively beautiful and have reasonable prices, suitable for tourists to buy as souvenirs.
As part of Project 6 under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2024, Lạc Sơn District, Hoa Binh province focuses on diverse and practical activities to promote the project's goal: "Preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development."
After 3 years of implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated October 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hoa Binh province's ethnic groups in the period of 2021 – 2025 with the orientation to 2030 (NQ04), it has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the people from all walks of life and there have been positive changes. So far, out of the 10 targets of NQ04, 3 targets have been met and exceeded the plan set for 2025. Typically, 70% of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of ethnic groups in the province is on the list of the national ICH items and they have been protected and restored, exceeding 20% of the proposed Resolution.
Great National Unity Day has been recently celebrated in Duong hamlet, Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district, in an atmosphere of warmth and community spirit. The event highlighted national identity and strengthened the bond of solidarity among residents.
On November 28, the People's Committee of Cao Phong district organized the Cultural and Sports Festival of Cao Phong district's ethnic groups in 2024.
